ABSTRACT
Councilasanalternativeinstitutionthatisengagedinadiscourseof
resistance.Wecontrasttwoculturesintheirapproachestoeconomic
development:thedominantinstitutionalcultureandacultureofresis-
tance.Weaimtoillustratetheconsequencesofthedominantinstitu-
tionalculture'sdevelopmentpracticesforthiscommunityoflow-in-
comeMrican-Americanwomenandtheirfamilies.Wethenshowthe
womenrespondingtothesepracticesbycallinglocalinstitutionsto
accountability. First,wedeconstructthestrategiesforeconomicdevelopmentwhich
unreflectivelyassumeprivilegeanddrainlow-incomecommunitiesof
resources.Weshowhowrace,class,andgenderorganizeaccessto
resourcesinthecorporatecity.These"privatized"citiesareplannedto
makemoneyservingprivilegedpeopleandenormousamountsofre-
sources,bothprivateandpublic,areinvestedinthem.Thesestrategies
emergefromthedominantdiscoursesofurbandevelopmenttheory
andpractice.
